Seat post advice

[dezza]

Hello,
I have a titanium framed 26" wheel MTB and want to use it for gravel/road cycling. It has new carbon front forks.
Currently with a titanium seat post.
I'm wondering as for comfort whether a carbon post would be better.
Similarly with a stem as it currently has an on one stem.
I'd appreciate advice from you experts out ther please.
Thanks
Steve.

 

[captaincowelly]

Recently ridden my first carbon post (Ritchey WCS 27.2mm) after a lifetime of ally posts.Can definitely feel a bit of give in it,in a good way.It does feel more comfortable.Can't compare with a Ti post as have never ridden one but I would imagine Ti to be a little more rigid.I'm sure someone else will chip in with more info.

 

[2manyoranges]

dezza - very much depends on model. What ti frame do you have? That makes a difference too. I have an ultra-harsh Aluminium Ragley frame and that benefits hugely from a Syncros gen4 carbon seatpost and WTB saddle with Ti rails. I have a COTIC steel with Ti Exotic seapost, and that's a good combination too. But post up the frame model and seatpost model and it will be easier to say whether you would get an improvement. Do have a think about the saddle rails too - the WTB Vigo ti saddle which I bought was dead cheap on ebay and improved things a lot. For road and gravel you are working on removing trail buzz, small frequency but constant stuff - that enhances comfort a lot.

 

[nporternz]

I have ridden a carbon and ti post on a ti gravel bike - I would go carbon personally as it seems to remove more of the small trail buzz

I wouldn't recommend an carbon stem - but maybe carbon bars if you can stretch to those

 

[2manyoranges]

That's a good point - carbon bars on the Ragley made a very big, and beneficial, difference. I managed to get heavily discounted Nukeproof bars from CR early in Lockdown - but for gravel there should be a big selection of carbon drops available. Good call.

 

[dezza]

dezza - very much depends on model. What ti frame do you have? That makes a difference too. I have an ultra-harsh Aluminium Ragley frame and that benefits hugely from a Syncros gen4 carbon seatpost and WTB saddle with Ti rails. I have a COTIC steel with Ti Exotic seapost, and that's a good combination too. But post up the frame model and seatpost model and it will be easier to say whether you would get an improvement. Do have a think about the saddle rails too - the WTB Vigo ti saddle which I bought was dead cheap on ebay and improved things a lot. For road and gravel you are working on removing trail buzz, small frequency but constant stuff - that enhances comfort a lot.

Hello, Thanks for your repeply. It's an On One titanium I believe 456. Currently with a titanium 31.6 seat pin. Regards,Steve.

 

[mk one]

Some carbon is comfy, so is some Ti. Tyre pressures can make the ride a lot more comfy too with no outlay. Bearing in mind the road should be a bit smoother than off-road, unless you live around here that is

 

[2manyoranges]

Thanks - All the reviews of the 456 - both Lynskey and Van Nicholas models - suggest that it is a well-designed, forgiving ride. I would make sure that you are running larger volume tyres, and certainly buy some carbon bars. Then see how it feels. Ti seatpost reputedly take out bigger hits - low frequency, high amplitude - while carbon tends to flex out trail buzz. But see how it is If you want further compliance, a switch to ti railed saddle might be cheap - I have bought those at 15-20 gbp on ebay, and then finally consider trying a carbon post. I think that’s the order which I would do it in....

 

[dezza]

Thanks - All the reviews of the 456 - both Lynskey and Van Nicholas models - suggest that it is a well-designed, forgiving ride. I would make sure that you are running larger volume tyres, and certainly buy some carbon bars. Then see how it feels. Ti seatpost reputedly take out bigger hits - low frequency, high amplitude - while carbon tends to flex out trail buzz. But see how it is If you want further compliance, a switch to ti railed saddle might be cheap - I have bought those at 15-20 gbp on ebay, and then finally consider trying a carbon post. I think that’s the order which I would do it in....

Again thanks, this is helpful. I want to ride the bike on the road and have just bought some carbon wheels with slicks .
I want to make the bike as comfortable as is possible hence the Q about seatposts. It already has carbon bars and carbon front rigid forks.
Regards,Steve.

 

[captaincowelly]

I have ridden a carbon and ti post on a ti gravel bike - I would go carbon personally as it seems to remove more of the small trail buzz

I wouldn't recommend an carbon stem - but maybe carbon bars if you can stretch to those

Anything wrong with carbon stems I should know about?